Safety ski binding device



1966 J. J. A. BEYL 3,288,477

' SAFETY SKI BINDING DEVICE Filed June 22, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 29, 1966 J. J. A. BEYL 3,288,477

SAFETY SKI BINDING DEVICE Filed June 22, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 JEAN Jase?" RLFRED E-wrc.

Nev. 29, 1966 J. J. A. BEYL 3,288,477

SAFETY SKI BINDING DEVICE Filed June 22, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 'Fi L JEAN dozpu ALFRED Pas/L United States Patent 7 Claims. ci. 280-1135) This invention relates to safety ski bindings of the type adapted to hold against motion the toe end of a ski boot.

More particularly, this invention is concerned with safety ski bindings of the type consisting of an abutment member rotatably mounted on the ski about a vertical axis ahead of the ski boot position, the rear face of this abutment member comprising means for retaining the toe end of the ski boot sole.

These rotary abutment devices are urged to their normal position by resilient locking means adapted however to permit their rotation and therefore the release of the toe end of the ski boot when an abnormally high efifort is exerted on the skiers leg and foot.

Nevertheless, existing devices of this general character, so far as the applicant is aware, are characterized by a number of inconveniences. In fact, if the means for retaining the toe end of the boot sole on the abutment member consist essentially of a horn carried directly by this member, this horn should have a reduced width to avoid any risk of jamming or wedging during the rotational movement of the abutment member and of the boot. However, under these conditions the boot is not held sufficiently in the transverse direction.

To avoid this drawback it has already been proposed to retain the boot by means of a jaw adapted to receive the toe end of the boot, this jaw being pivotally mounted in turn on the body of the rotary abutment member. But this arrangement requires the use of two pivot pins or two pivot axes. Moreover, the jaw itself must have a reduced width to avoid any risk of jamming or wedging during the rotation of the abutment member.

Thus, in most existing types of toe-end abutment members of ski binding devices the boot is not reliably held in the transverse direction for it is hardly possible to grip the boot on both sides, for in this case the boot would be wedged during the rotation of the abutment member, thus preventing the automatic release of the boot in case of emergency.

In view of the foregoing the present invention provides a ski binding device comprising boot retaining means for reliably holding the boot against transverse motion without interfering whatsoever with the movements of rotation of the abutment member and of the boot in case of abnormally high torsional effort. On the other hand this invention also contemplates the provision of means permitting the easy adjustment of the retaining means at the toe end of the boot as a function of the width of the toe end of the ski boot sole. Furthermore, this invention contemplates means for simplifying the structure of a ski binding device of the type set forth hereinabove with a view to reduce its cost price.

To this end, the present invention provides a safety ski binding device adapted to hold the toe end of the ski boot against motion, which consists of an abutment member rotatably mounted on the ski top and normally urged to its normal position by resilient holding means, said abutment member comprising at its rear end means adapted to receive the toe end of the ski boot and to hold same against motion both in the forward direction and laterally, this device being characterized in that said means consist on the one hand of a pair of side arms extending obliquely to the rear and fitting on either side Too of the toe end of the boot, and on the other hand of a bearing surface projecting from the middle of the rear face of said abutment member and adapted to be engaged by the toe end of the boot sole, the rear face of said abutment member being formed with two re-entrant angles or notches on either side of said bearing face.

According to a complementary feature of this invention, the two side arms of said device are carried by two separate members rotatably mounted on the rotary body of said abutment member about a common axis, said two separate members being connected to each other and to the body of said abutment member by means adapted to cause said two separate members to move bodily about said common axis while permitting the adjustment of the initial relative angular position of these two members for modifying at will the relative spacing of said two side arms.

In order to afford a clearer understanding of this invention and of the manner in which the same may be carried out in practice, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings illustrating diagrammatically by way of example, two typical forms of embodiment thereof. In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view showing the ski binding device of this invention according to a first form of embodiment there-of;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view from above of the same device;

FIGURE 3 is a section taken upon the line III-III of FIGURE 2;

FIGURES 4- to 6 inclusive are perspective views showing the three component elements of the rotary abutment member;

FIGURES 7 to 9 inclusive are diagrammatic plane views from above showing the various positions of the ski binding device and of a ski boot held thereby on the ski during the operation of the device;

FIGURE 10 is a plan view from above showing a modified form of embodiment of the ski binding device of this invention;

FIGURE 11 is a vertical section taken upon the line XI-XI of FIGURE 10, and

FIGURES 12 to 14 inclusive are perspective views showing the three component elements of the abutment member body of the corresponding device.

The device according to the first form of embodiment of the present invention which is illustrated in FIGURES l to 6 of the drawings comprises a base plate 1 adapted to be secured on the top of the ski S ahead of the normal position of the toe end B of the sole of a ski boot C. This base plate may be secured for instance by means of three screws 2 and carries a cylindrical pivot member 3 extending upwards at right angles to the upper face of the base plate.

Stacked or superposed on this pivot member 3 are three elements 4, 5a and 5b of substantially annular configuration. The lower element 4 constitutes somewhat the base of the body of the rotary abutment member, and the two elements 501 and 5b complete this body and act on the other hand as a support to the pair of side arms 6a, 6b of the abutment member. In fact, each arm 6a, 6b is rigid or formed integrally with one of these elements, as shown. Besides, each arm 6a, 65 comprises on its inner face an upper overhanging ledge 7a, 7b adapted to engage the top of the toe end B of the ski boot sole.

The three elements 4, 5a, 5b are thus rotatably mounted about the pivot 3. However they are rotatably interconnected by means permitting a modification of the initial relative angular position of the two elements 5a, 5b with respect to the lower element 4. These means consist preferably of relatively deep or pronounced alternate radial ribs and grooves formed on the registering 3 faces of these three elements, as shown more particularly in FIGURES 4 to 6.

Thus the element 4 carries on its upper face an annular set of radial ribs 8 disposed at spaced intervals. The intermediate element a comprises on its lower face another annular set of radial grooves 9 disposed at spaced intervals, adapted to be engaged by the ribs 8. However, this intermediate element 501 has also formed on its upper face an annular set of radial ribs 10 adapted to engage corresponding radial grooves 11 formed in the lower face of the upper element 5b. Thus, when these ribs and grooves engage one another the three elements 4, 5a and 5b are firmly held against relative rotation. These elements are kept in this meshing engagement by a nut 12 engaging the screw-threaded shank 13 extending upwards from within the pivot member 3, this nut 12 being formed with a flange 14 bearing against the top element 5b.

The two elements 5a, 5b are coupled together and with the lower element 4 in such a way that the two arms 6a, 6b extend obliquely to the rear to form substantially a V on either side of the location provided for the toe end of the ski boot C.

As will be seen from FIGURES 4 and 5 the two elements 5a, 5b are formed at the rear, in close vicinity of the side arms 6a and 6b, with two curved convex portions 15a, 15b corresponding for example to portions of a same cylindrical surface. They constitute for example the continuation of the outer cylindrical surface of the lower element 4. Thus, with this outer surface, the convex curved portions 15a and 15b constitute the rear face of the rotary abutment member. Under these conditions, this rear face comprises an intermediate portion 17 projecting from the two ends 17a, 17b thereof which form somewhat two re-entrant angles on either side of this projecting intermediate portion (see FIGURE 2). The intermediate portion 17 of the rear face of the abutment member is adapted to constitute the bearing surface engageable by the toe end B of the ski boot sole.

The body of this rotary abutment member, which consist of the three superposed annular elements 4, 5a and 5b, as explained hereinabove, is urged to its normal position by a resilient return or locking system which may be of any suitable and known type. Thus, in the example illustrated in the drawings this system is of the same type as shown and described in the U.S. Patent No. 3,000,644 filed by the same applicant.

In fact, the rotary body of this abutment member is locked in its normal position by three part-spherical projections 18 formed on the upper face of the base plate 1 and engaged in corresponding recesses 18a formed on the lower face of the annular element 4. The aforesaid projections 18 are disposed at spaced intervals on the top surface of base plate 1, and are retained in the corresponding recesses 18a because the rotary abutment body proper is resiliently pressed against the base plate 1 by the action of a suitable spring. This spring may consist of a simple dished washer r19 exerting an elastic pressure on the head 20 of the aforesaid screw-threaded shank 13 extending through the axial bore of the fixed pivot member 3. The washer 19 as well as the head 20 of shank 13 are housed in a cavity 21 formed on the lower face of base plate 1, the washer 19 being interposed between the bottom of this cavity and the head 20 of shank 13.

Thus, this spring washer 19 will constantly resiliently urge the pivot member 13 in the direction of the arrow F (FIGURE 3) to cause the flange 14 of nut 12 to engage the rotary abutment body, more particularly the upper annular element 5b. As will be readily understood, the force of the spring consisting of the dished washer 19 may be adjusted at will by screwing in or out the nut 12 to compress more or less the washer. Thus, the conditions of operation of the ski binding device may be adjusted at will so that the rotary abutment body rotates in the occurrence of an abnormally high torsional effort exerted on the skiers foot and, therefore, on the ski boot C.

However, as long as this torsional effort is not transmitted to the abutment body the latter is held against motion by the resilient locking system described hereinabove. Under these conditions, this system will safely maintain in the proper position the toe end of the ski boot, the heel end of the boot being held against motion by any other suitable retaining device consisting for instance of a bow 22 (FIGURES 6 to 9) surrounding the heel of the boot C and comprising spring means 23 as well as a lever 24 for tensioning same. Preferably, the front ends of this bow are pivotally mounted on either side of a plate 25 underlying the heel so as to support same, this plate being on the other hand rotatably mounted about a pivot 26 secured on the top of the ski.

The toe end of the ski boot may be retained by means of the device of this invention in a particularly simple way. In fact, the user simply engages the toe end B of the boot sole between the tWo side arms 6a and 6b of the rotary abutment member. The V disposal of these two arms obviously facilitates the positioning of the toe end of the boot sole therebetween.

Thus the middle of the toe end of the boot sole engages the point 0 (FIGURE 7) of the bearing face 17 projecting centrally of the rear face of the abutment member. On the other hand, the two corners of the toe end of the boot sole engage the points X and Y on the inner side of the two lateral arms 6a, 6b, the toe corners thus projecting under the overhanging ledges 7a and 7b of these arms (FIGURES 7).

Under these conditions, when the toe end of the boot is properly positioned, it is firmly retained by the abutment device at three points, namely at points X and Y engaged by the front corners of the boot sole on the two side arms, and at point 0 where the front end of the toe portion of the boot sole engages the projecting bearing face 17 of the abutment member. Thus the toe end of the boot is safely retained in all directions, the conditions in which the boot is held in the lateral directions being improved considerably with respect to hitherto known binding devices. Any upward movement of the boot is also prevented because the front corners of the sole are engaged under the overhanging ledges 7a and 7b of the two side arms.

Since the width of the boot sole may vary according to the type of boot used by the skier, it is obviously necessary to have the possibility of adjusting the relative spaclng of the two lateral arms as a function of this width. However, this adjustment may be effected very easily by simply unscrewing the nut 12 and lifting the two annular elements 5a and 5b supporting these two arms in order to modify their relative initial angular positions with respect to the lower annular element 4.

When a torsional effort is applied to the skiers foot, the boot tends to carry along the rotary abutment by means of the lateral arm located on the side towards which this effort is directed. If this effort exceeds the value at which the abutment member is expected to release the boot according to the setting of the compression spring 19 the elastic system for locking the abutment member will release the latter to permit its rotation and, therefore, that of the boot.

In fact, in this case the torsional effort transmitted to the abutment body is sufiicient to overcome the resistance of spring 19 urging the projections 18 of base plate 1 for engagement in the recesses 18a of the abutment body. However, disengaging the projections 18 from the corresponding recesses 18a causes the abutment body to rise together with the pivot 13 against the resistance of the dished spring 19. This upward movement is advantageous in that it removes the upper ledges 7a, 7b of the two side arms in relation to the upper face of the toe end B of the boot sole, so that the boot is relieved from its forced engagement with the top face of the ski.

It may be noted more particularly that during the rotation of the ski boot and of the abutment member, the corner of the toe end of the boot sole which is opposite to the direction in which this toe end is moved engages the corresponding re-entrant angle of the rear face of the abutment member, in this case the re-entrant angle 17b in the example illustrated in FIGURES 8 and 9. This constitutes an essential feature of the ski binding device of this invention. In fact, if the rear face of the abutment body were not provided with these two re-entrant angles on either side of the central bearing face 17, one of the toe corners of the boot sole would be wedged against this face, thus preventing the release of the boot. However, any risk of wedging of this character is definitely precluded by the provision of said re-entrant corners 17a and 17b.

Besides, the rear face of the abutment body and the toe end B of the boot sole slide on each other as clearly shown in FIGURES 8 and 9. The edge of the sole continues to bear against the rear face of the abutment member at a point and O lying substantially on the longitudinal axis of the ski. Thus, when the boot rotation corresponds to an angle at its corner located on the side of the direction of this rotation can espace from the corresponding side arm 6a, thus releasing completely the toe end of the boot.

The main advantage characterizing this invention in relation to hitherto known arrangements of the same type is obviously the absence of any risk of wedging the toe end of the boot during the rotational movement effected by the boot and the abutment member. However, this device is also attended by a number of other substantial advantages.

Thus, as already stated hereinabove, with this device the toe end of the ski boot is reliably held against transverse motion and the relative spacing of the side arms may be adjusted exactly as a function of the width of this toe end of the ski boot.

FIGURES 10 to 14' inclusive of the drawings illustrate another typical form of embodiment of the ski binding device of this invention. In this example, the axis about which the two elements carrying the side arms rotate is separate from the pivot member of the rotary abutment body, whereas in the preceding example both pivots were merged into one.

In this alternate form of embodiment the base element 40 of the rotary body carries at its front end a pivot member 30 projecting from its top face. Slipped or stacked on this pivot member 30 are two elements c and 5d carrying the side arms 6c and 6d of the device.

As in the preceding case the registering faces of these three elements are formed with complementary projections and cavities for rotatably assembling these elements with each other; if desired, these projections and cavities consist respectively of radial ribs and grooves 8, 9, and 11. These projections permit of locking the two elements 50 and Ed on the base element 4c in any desired mutual angular position by pivoting about the axis of pivot member 30. A nut 140 is provided on this pivot member for locking the elements 5c and 5d in the desired relative positions.

As in the preceding example the vertical pivot member 3 of the device is carried by the base plate 1. The base element 4c is formed with a circular hole 23 and slipped over the pivot member 3 so as to be rotatable about the axis thereof. The two elements 50 and 5d are each formed with a curved slot 24c, 24d respectively, both slots being engaged by the fixed pivot member 3. Due to their configuration these slot permit of altering the initial relative angular positions of these two elements 5c and 5d by pivoting about the pivot 30 as the main pivot 3 extends through these elements.

The base element 4c constitutes together with the two elements 50 and 5d the rotary body assembly of the present device. This assembly is kept in its normal position by a resilient locking system similar to that provided in the preceding example. This system comprises projections 18 emerging from the top face of base plate 1 and engageable in corresponding recesses 18a of the lower face of base element 40. This system further comprises a spring consisting in this example of a resilient dished washer 19 acting upon the head 20 of a shank 13 slidably mounted within the fixed pivot member 3. The upper end of this shank bears on the rotary assembly of the abutment member by means of a nut 14 so that by screwing this nut in or out the compressive force of spring 19 can be adjusted at will.

The operation of the device according to this second example is therefore exactly the same as that of the device illustrated in FIGURES 1 to 6.

In this respect, it may be pointed out that the rear face 16 of the rotary body is curved with its convexity directed backwards as in the preceding case. It also comprises an intermediate zone 17 projecting somewhat in relation to two reentrant angles 17a and 1712. With this specific configuration of the rear face 16 any possibility of wedging the toe end of the boot sole during the rotation of the abutment device is definitely precluded.

This alternate device is also advantageous in that it permits an accurate adjustment of the relative angular position of the two side arms as a function of the width of the toe end of the ski boot by pivoting the two elements 50 and 5d about a common axis, in this case the axis of pivot member 30. However, it is clear that this axis could be located on the rear end of the base element 40 instead of on its front end.

It may also be noted that the device according to the first example illustrated in FIGURES 1 to 6 is more advantageous than the one illustrated in FIGURES 10 to 14. In fact, the first device is advantageous notably in that it comprises only one pivot member (3) acting as a pivot member with respect both to the abutment body and to the elements 5a and 5b for adjusting the relative spacing of the lateral arms. Moreover, the structure of this first device is simpler.

However, the ski binding device according to this invention should not be construed as being limited by the two specific forms of embodiment described hereinabove by way of example. Thus, in these alternate forms of embodiment the rear face 16 of the rotary abutment body is of substantially cylindrical configuration, but it would not constitute a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention to make this face with another suitable configuration, provided that its central portion comprises a projecting bearing face and, on either side thereof, two recessed forming somewhat re-entrant angles adapted to receive one or the other corner of the toe end of the boot sole during the rotation thereof. Moreover, the means for assembling the three annular elements constituting the abutment body may be replaced with any other suitable means.

On the other hand, the projections 18 of the resilient locking system may be provided on the inner face of the annular element 4 of the abutment body instead of on the base plate 1; in this case the corresponding recesses 18a are provided on this base plate. If the component elements of the abutment body are manufactured by plastic moulding, these projections are formed of course by moulding same integrally with the corresponding element. However, these projections may be replaced by balls interposed between the base plate 1 and the abutment body.

In any case the resilient locking system of the abutment body may be replacd by any other equivalent system or, if desired, by a resilient return system adapted to hold and restore the abutment body to its normal position.

What I claim is: v

1. Safety ski binding device adapted to hold the toe end of a ski boot against motion, which comprises in combination a base plate, a pivot member carried thereby and adapted to be secured on the top face of a ski so that said pivot member extends upwards at right angles to said ski face; a three-piece abutment body mounted on said pivot member, said body consisting of a base element, and two upper elements, said elements being in superposed position on said pivot member and being interconnected; the toe of said boot adapted to abut against said body; resilient means connecting said elements to said base plate and retaining said abutment body, said resilient connection permitting said abutment body to rotate about said pivot when a torsional effort of predetermined value is applied thereto; a pair of diverging lateral extending arms on the rear of said abutment body adapted to hold between them and to act as a bearing and retaining surface for the toe end of the boot sole, each of the two upper elements of said body having one of said lateral arms extending rearwards on either side of the location of the toe end of the ski boot at such a level in relation to said base plate that they extend against the corners of the toe end of the ski boot; each lateral arm having an overhanging ledge adapted to engage the upper face of the corners of the toe end of the boot sole; means adapted to lock said upper two elements carrying said lateral arms in relation to each other in any desired angular positions and to cause said arms to be locked also in relation to said abutment body base.

2. Safety ski binding device as set forth in claim 1, wherein there is a face provided in the central region of each of said upper elements with a projecting portion adapted to constitute a bearing surface for the front of the toe end of the boot sole intermediate said arms.

3. A safety ski binding device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said two upper elements carrying said lateral arms are mounted above each other and above said abutment base, said means for locking said elements consisting of complementary projections formed on the registering faces of said two elements and on said abutment base, and a clamping member mounted on said pivot member of said abutment body.

4. A safety ski binding device as set forth in claim 2, wherein said two elements carrying said lateral arms are mounted above each other and above said abutment base, said means for locking said elements consisting of complementary projections formed on the registering faces of the said two elements and said abutment body, and a clamping member mounted on said pivot member of said abutment body.

5. A safety ski binding device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said abutment body and said two elements carrying said lateral arms are pressed against said base plate by a shank slidably mounted in the pivot member of said abutment body, a spring reacting on said base plate and adapted to act upon said shank, and complementary projections adapted toengage each other, formed on the registering faces of said base plate and said abutment body respectively.

6. A safety ski binding device as set forth in claim 2, wherein said abutment base and said two upper elements carrying said two lateral arms are pressed against said base by means of a shank slidably mounted in said pivot member of said abutment body, a spring reacting against said base plate and adapted to act upon said shank, and complementary ribs and grooves formed on the register-ing faces of said base on the one hand and said two upper elements on the other hand, said ribs and grooves being interengaged.

7. Safety ski binding device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said resilient means includes a shank within said body and a disked washer on said shank bearing against the lower face of said base.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,188,104 6/1965 Magnin 280-1135 3,207,525 9/1965 Hvam 28011.35

BENJAMIN HERSH, Primary Examiner. J. H. BRANNEN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. SAFETY SKI BINDING DEVICE ADAPTED TO HOLD THE TOE END OF A SKI BOOT AGAINST MOTION, WHICH COMPRISES IN COMBINATION A BASE PLATE, A PIVOT MEMBER CARRIED THEREBY AND ADAPTED TO BE SECURED ON THE TOP FACE OF A SKI SO THAT SAID PIVOT MEMBER EXTENDS UPWARDS AT RIGHT ANGLES TO SAID SKI FACE; A THREE-PIECE ABUTMENT BODY MOUNTED ON SAID PIVOT MEMBER, SAID BODY CONSISTING OF A BASE ELEMENT, AND TWO UPPER ELEMENTS, SAID ELEMENTS BEING IN SUPERPOSED POSITION ON SAID PIVOT MEMBER AND BEING INTERCONNECTED; THE TOE OF SAID BOOT ADAPTED TO ABUT AGAINST SAID BODY; RESILIENT MEANS CONNECTING SAID ELEMENTS TO SAID BASE PLATE AND RETAINING SAID ABUTMENT BODY, SAID RESILIENT CONNECTION PERMITTING SAID ABUTMENT BODY TO ROTTE ABOUT SAID PIVOT WHEN A TORSIONAL EFFORT OF PREDETERMINED VALUE IS APPLIED THERETO; A PAIR OF DIVERGING LATERAL EXTENDING ARMS ON THE REAR OF SAID ABUTMENT BODY ADAPTED TO HOLD BETWEEN THEM AND AND TO ACT AS A BEARING AND RETAINING SURFACE FOR THE TOE END OF THE BOOT SOLE, EACH OF THE TWO UPPER ELEMENT OF SAID BODY HAVING ONE OF SAID LATERAL ARMS EXTENDING REARWARDS ON EITHER SIDE OF THE LOCATION OF THE TOE END OF THE SKI BOOT AT SUCH A LEVEL IN RELATION TO SAID BASE PLATE THAT THEY EXTEND AGAINST THE CORNERS OF THE TOE END OF THE SKI BOOT; EACH LATERAL ARM HAVING AN OVERHINGING LEDGE ADAPTED TO ENGAGE THE UPPER FACE OF THE CORNERS OF THE TOE END OF THE BOOT SOLE; MEANS ADAPTED TO LOCK SAID UPPER TWO ELEMENTS CARRYING SAID LATERAL ARMS IN RELATION TO EACH OTHER IN ANY DESIRED ANGULAR POSITIONS AND TO CAUSE SAID ARMS TO BE LOCKED ALSO IN RELATION TO SAID ABUTMENT BODY BASE. 